Mop swab



T. V. MOSS Dec. 5, 1961 MOP SWAB Filed May 12. 1959 INVENTOR.

THERON V. MOSS 032M, FEW

ATTORNEYS 3,011,198 MOP SWAB Theron V. Moss, 3175 Falmouth, Shaker Heights, Ohio Filed May 12, 1959, Ser. No. 812,624 3 Claims. (Cl. 15--229) This invention relates as indicated to a mop swab, and more particularly to a novel mop construction.

Reference may be had to my prior Patent 2,825,914 fora disclosure of certain features which I find highly advantageous in the construction of mops particularly suited and arranged for mopping floors dry and the like. I consider it especiallyimportant and desirable to provide flexible means interconnecting the individual yarns or cords at a point'spaced slightly in from their ends in order to limit raveling beyond this point while nevertheless permitting the extreme ends of the yarns to open up for maximum wiping action. Mops are, of course, relatively subjected to very hard use, and it is an important object of the present invention to provide a mop which will combine maximum effectiveness in picking up water with a rugged construction affording a relatively long life.

Another object is to provide a mop in which plied yarns thereof are secured in generally parallel relationship to provide a uniform mopping pattern with wide floor coverage to decrease labor costs.

Another object is to provide a mop swab comprising States Patent an assemblage of a plurality of substantially parallel mop cords with tape means joining together the cords in a flat layer but one single cord in thickness adjacent the respective ends of the assemblage whereby the cords are fanned out into a single flat layer and such tape will help maintain the cords spread out in such single flat layer adjacent the ends of such assemblage as the mop is drawn 1 along a floor thereby to cover a larger floor surface, the central portion of the cord assemblagebeing bunched together in multi-layer relationship.

A further object is to provide a mop utilizing improved yarns combining high absorptivequalities with strength, as well as means interconnecting such yarns in reliable fashion not adversely affected by the various cleansing solutions in which the mop may be immersed in use.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic fragmentary plan view illustrating certain preliminary steps in the manufacture of my new mop;

FIG. 2 shows such new mop on a reduced scale after the yarns have been gathered together and secured at their mid-points, one end of the mop swab being spread to show the coverage obtained therewith;

FIG. 3 is a semi-diagrammatic transverse section taken on the line 33 on FIG. 2 illustrating the manner in which the assembly of parallel yarns may be folded together and secured at their mid-point by means of an encircling fabric band or the like;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken on the line -44- on FIG. 2 through one of the band serving to join the parallel yarns adjacent the respective ends of the latter; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse section similar to FIG. 4 but i to corresponding bands applied to the other side of the yarn assembly. In FIG. 1, only a few-of the parallel yarns 1 are shown, with the bands 4- and '5 being shown broken at the upper side of the view. The assembly thus joined travels to the right as shown in FIG. 1 to a second work station where the yarns are severed as by means of a rotary knife midway between the aforesaid pair of bands 4 and 5, and if desired, thev yarn pull rolls,(not shown) may be equipped with such knife to effect severing without halting travel of the assembly. When the yarns are next severed between a following pair of bands 4 and 5, it will be seen that a mop swab will have been produced comprising a fiat single layer of parallel yarns joined together at points slightly spaced from their respective ends. Thisis quite the opposite of prior manufacturing methods Where it has been customary first to bunch the yarns together and join them at their midpoints and thereafter to spread the yarns and interconnect the end regions thereof, when this latter. stephas been performed at all. J

My new mop swab produced as above may now be folded or bunched with yarns still lying parallel to one another and joined at their mid-point by means of a band f6 which may be of textile fabric preferably stitched entirely through the bundle of yarns by means of stitching 7. It will thus be seen that while the yarns 1 may extend in a relatively thick layer as shown to the left in FIG. 2, they may also be fanned out into a single wide layer as shown to the right in such figure and thereby rendered particularly effective to cover large floor areas and to pick up a maximum of water. The tape 4, of course, assists in maintaining such cords in such fanned out condition as the mop is drawn along the floor, the tape leaving the cords exposed at least at the extreme ends of the assemblage.

While various cords and yarns well known in the art may be employed in accordance with my invention, such as bleached hemp yarn or cord, I have found a mixture of cotton and rayon cord and also cotton cord alone of a relatively open twist, and therefore especially water absorptive, to be particularly desirable if reinforced with nylon or the like to provide the added strength and abrasion resistance. A cord or yarn comprising approximately one half cotton and one half rayon fibers, by weight, is especially satisfactory. While the very soft or open twist which is preferred aflords much better water pick-up, the tapes 4 and 5 adjacent the respective ends of the swab prevent excessive unraveling.

As above indicated, I prefer to use cloth tape 6 for securing the bunched together central portion of the swab and find nylon stitching 7 worth-while in providing a strong assembly, such stitching preferably penetrating the entire bundle. The bunching together of the yarns at their mid-points may be achieved neatly and satisfactorily by turning in the side marginsof the assembly until they meet or by bunching such assembly at least in part in an accordion pleated manner.

The bands or tapes 4 and 5 may be of textile fabric and secured to the yarns as by nylon stitching, or such nylon stitching may in some cases be utilized without employment of the tapes in the manner disclosed in my Patented Dec. 5, 1961 aforesaid prior Patent 2,825,914. The tapes 4 and 5 may be of textile fabric, glass cloth, paper, or plastic and may have a thermosetting adhesive, silicone adhesive, pressure sensitive or other adhesive coating for securing to the yarns prior to or in place of stitching. A novel alternative which is advantageous in that it permits very rapid manufacture is the employment of plastic tape which may be bonded to the yarns 1 by means of an appropriate adhesive or solvent, or alternatively when a thermoplastic tape is employed, by application of heat. In the modification illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawing, two opposed tapes 8 and 9 are thus utilized, the yarns 1 being spaced slightly apart in this region so that the surfaces of the opposed tapes may contact each other intermediate the yarns and be there bonded together as by heat sealing. They thus serve to maintain the yarns slightly spaced apart, in this region in the manner disclosed in my Patent 2,825,914. However, for some purposes I prefer to employ a tape extending on one side only of the cords as shown in FIG. 4 inasmuch as the mopping surface on the other side will then be substantially uninterrupted, this arrangement being especially desirable when applying liquid floor wax, for example, as the tape may otherwise cause objectionable streaking.

As an alternative to the method disclosed in FIG, 1, the mop swab may be produced by passing the yarns between two sets of rollers, banding them together at a zone midway between the sets of rollers, applying the tapes or the like across the yarn 'ply in longitudinally spaced relation to the banded section, and then severing the taped and center-banded yarns near the respective tapes to provide the short free ends of yarn.

Other modes of applying the principle of-the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be em ployed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A mop swab comprising an assemblage of a plurality of substantially parallel mop cords, transversely extending tape means joining together said cords in sideby-side relationship in a flat layer but one single cord in thickness adjacent the respective ends of said assemblage, said tape means extending on one side only of said cords whereby the mopping surface on the opposite side will be substantially uninterrupted, said cords being thus fanned out into a single flat layer'and said tape means assisting in maintaining said cords in such condition in the end portions of said assemblage as such swab is drawn along a floor thereby to cover a larger floor surface, and means securing the central portionot said cord assemblage in bunched together multi-layer relationship.

2. The new mop swab of claim 1 wherein said mop cords are composed of approximately one-half cotton and one-half rayon by weight.

3. A mop swab of the type having a central portion adapted to be secured to an appropriate holder and two freely extending end portions, said swab comprising an assemblage of a plurality of substantially parallel mop cords, tape means joining together said cords in side-byside relationship in a flat layer but one single cord in thickness adjacent the respective ends of said assemblage, whereby the end portions of said assemblage are fanned out into a single fiat layer and said tape means will help maintain said cords spread out in such flat layer as such mop is drawn along a floor thereby to cover a larger floor surface, and means securing a central portion of said cord assemblage in bunched together multi-layer relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 892,036 Emmert June 30, 1908 1,816,530 Hertzberg July 28, 1931 2,153,023 Pattee Apr. 4, 1939 2,825,914 Moss Mar. 11, 1958 Net a 

